Clan Fraser
Of Lovat — 'I am ready'.
Draft entry · awaiting community review
Motto
Je suis prest
— I am ready
What does the Fraser name mean?
From the Old French 'fraisier' — strawberry plant — surviving on the family arms as a fraise. Anglo-Norman in origin, settling in Scotland in the 12th century.
The history of Clan Fraser
The Frasers are of Anglo-Norman origin, settling in Scotland in the 12th century. Two principal branches developed: the Frasers of Philorth, who became Lord Saltoun, and the Frasers of Lovat, the Highland clan based in Inverness-shire.
Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat (c.1667–1747), played a famously duplicitous role through the Jacobite period. He was eventually executed on Tower Hill for his part in the 1745 Rising — the last man beheaded in Britain.
The clan rebuilt in the following generations, with Simon Fraser of Lovat raising the 78th Fraser Highlanders — who fought at Quebec under Wolfe and helped open Canada to British settlement.
Notable bearers of the Fraser name
- Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat
- Simon Fraser of Lovat, raiser of the 78th Highlanders
Frequently asked
What does the surname Fraser mean?
Where does the Fraser family come from?
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Who are some famous Frasers?
Editor notes
- · Verify dates of Lord Lovat's execution and the 78th's deployment.